Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That emphasises a housing-led approach which is about accessing permanent housing as a primary response to all forms of homelessness. In the past two years, some 1,500 people here in Dublin have moved from the homeless sector to independent living, which is significant but obviously not enough.

The homelessness oversight group was established in 2013 for the purposes of reviewing all of that policy. At its meeting on 25 February this year, the Government approved the establishment of a homelessness policy implementation unit, which is tasked with implementing the homelessness oversight group's first report. That will include the preparation and the publication of a structured, practical plan to make the transition from shelter-led emergency accommodation to a sustainable housing-led response to homelessness to achieve the goal of 2016 for putting an end to this.

In 2014, for example, the national homelessness budget will be maintained at €45 million, which is the same as last year. Investment of over €50 million was also provided through the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and similar investment is expected again this year. In addition, the HSE spends €30 million annually providing care supports for the homeless. A high level, three person oversight group was established to review the approach being adopted here. Some of these are people who have considerable experience and they submitted their first report to the Minister on 19 December last year.

I share the Deputy's view that this is a problem that has been building up for quite some time. It is not good enough to have adults and children sleeping in cars or being boarded in hotels. The answer is that we have to provide housing. As the Minister pointed out, with the best will in the world, we have to start with boarded up units, revamp and renovate them and make them available in the short term, and get the system in place for providing direct social housing. However, there is also the fact there is a substantial land bank, particularly in the Dublin area, and there are good contractors willing to provide private housing. The kind we provide, the mix we provide and the scale at which we provide that is where we need to be.

I want to see an end to this, but it will not happen overnight. The Minister of State will obviously look at the question of the rent cap mentioned by the Deputy.

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